One week in Umina
I’ve been here with Mick for a week now and it’s been quite busy. The weather has been glorious, blue sky mostly, cool in the shade but lovely and warm in the sunshine. No trouble sleeping as the temperature drops at night.
Mick is very limited in his mobility, just getting in and out of bed is a struggle. Walking to the living room from his bedroom leaves him totally exhausted. Even since he was in the uk in October his mobility has significantly reduced. I every other way he is fine which is quite difficult to to get ones head around. He has all his faculties, can walk un aided but just can’t walk any distance and up hill, forget it. Just as well he lives in a bungalow.
We had a mini drama on the first day out going for an appointment at the doctors. We parked close to the mall where the doc was. Insisted I stay by the car. Transpired he nearly collapsed in to the surgery, put him on oxygen immediately. They gave him a couple of RSV injections ( mum will explain that). That visit was to arrange a vehicle disability pass. Now we have to await a medical and an eye test to confirm he is fit to drive before they issue the pass which we believe is a formality.
Oxygen is the next issue. He gets two cylinders delivered every other day. At 2 litres/min a cylinder lasts 3 hours. It’s not sufficient for his needs and if he tries to walk he needs twice that and even then it’s a struggle. So we are now awaiting another test to get him provided with an oxygen concentrator which will be permanently sat at home and produces its own oxygen 24/7. He qualifies for that and only due to misunderstanding of his needs he would have had it from day one. So there will be a delay now in getting that. The cylinders he will then use when out and about. Plus we may organise a portable concentrator which he can put on his back, but they are expensive so we have to wait and see depending on outcome of his next tests.
We sorted out online banking yesterday and today we had a lady from “My Health Care” Government agency to assess his home help and other needs eg. Meals on wheels. It’s a bit bureaucratic and will take a few weeks to sort but the lady seemed sympathetic and will be recommending a “package” but it comes in stages and there will be some charges all be it nominal I think.
We investigated mobility scooters also yesterday and found a good one that he would be able to lift in and out of his car. Not cheap but he realises to have any sort of mobility it’s a must. No point driving then not being able to get out of the car to do anything.
We’re looking at some more in a bigger place up the coast tomorrow and I have to take him for an eye test on Sunday; part of the medical for his parking permit.
Birthday 11th on Tuesday, his long time mates Denis and Chris are coming up from Sydney with their wives which will be great. He is lucky having such a lot of friends that keep in touch. They’re all some distance away but phone regularly. He reckons he has a visit at least once a month.
Long term mate Birnie and wife Vicky from Liverpool phoned tonight. It was lovely to hear them talking, Birnie doesn’t like flying or I’m sure they would have been out here to visit. They’ve been mates since 5 years old!
Vicky has a friend called Cathy who lives in Sydney, we visited her when I was here in 2019, lovely lady real scouse full of fun, took us to restaurant in Manly and wouldn’t let us pay for anything. (my kinda gal!)
We have an appointment booked for the 14th in Newcastle to finalise the power of attorney stuff and Micks will, which is good, I’m not expecting him to pop his clogs any time soon but at least he’s getting his affairs in order!
And finally last but not least (for now), Josie is no more. She has been invited to leave politely and will be moving back to her apartment up the beach in Ettalong. She’s not the caring type and was never going to cope with Mick in his state so best it ended.
Mick is very limited in his mobility, just getting in and out of bed is a struggle. Walking to the living room from his bedroom leaves him totally exhausted. Even since he was in the uk in October his mobility has significantly reduced. I every other way he is fine which is quite difficult to to get ones head around. He has all his faculties, can walk un aided but just can’t walk any distance and up hill, forget it. Just as well he lives in a bungalow.
We had a mini drama on the first day out going for an appointment at the doctors. We parked close to the mall where the doc was. Insisted I stay by the car. Transpired he nearly collapsed in to the surgery, put him on oxygen immediately. They gave him a couple of RSV injections ( mum will explain that). That visit was to arrange a vehicle disability pass. Now we have to await a medical and an eye test to confirm he is fit to drive before they issue the pass which we believe is a formality.
Oxygen is the next issue. He gets two cylinders delivered every other day. At 2 litres/min a cylinder lasts 3 hours. It’s not sufficient for his needs and if he tries to walk he needs twice that and even then it’s a struggle. So we are now awaiting another test to get him provided with an oxygen concentrator which will be permanently sat at home and produces its own oxygen 24/7. He qualifies for that and only due to misunderstanding of his needs he would have had it from day one. So there will be a delay now in getting that. The cylinders he will then use when out and about. Plus we may organise a portable concentrator which he can put on his back, but they are expensive so we have to wait and see depending on outcome of his next tests.
We sorted out online banking yesterday and today we had a lady from “My Health Care” Government agency to assess his home help and other needs eg. Meals on wheels. It’s a bit bureaucratic and will take a few weeks to sort but the lady seemed sympathetic and will be recommending a “package” but it comes in stages and there will be some charges all be it nominal I think.
We investigated mobility scooters also yesterday and found a good one that he would be able to lift in and out of his car. Not cheap but he realises to have any sort of mobility it’s a must. No point driving then not being able to get out of the car to do anything.
We’re looking at some more in a bigger place up the coast tomorrow and I have to take him for an eye test on Sunday; part of the medical for his parking permit.
Birthday 11th on Tuesday, his long time mates Denis and Chris are coming up from Sydney with their wives which will be great. He is lucky having such a lot of friends that keep in touch. They’re all some distance away but phone regularly. He reckons he has a visit at least once a month.
Long term mate Birnie and wife Vicky from Liverpool phoned tonight. It was lovely to hear them talking, Birnie doesn’t like flying or I’m sure they would have been out here to visit. They’ve been mates since 5 years old!
Vicky has a friend called Cathy who lives in Sydney, we visited her when I was here in 2019, lovely lady real scouse full of fun, took us to restaurant in Manly and wouldn’t let us pay for anything. (my kinda gal!)
We have an appointment booked for the 14th in Newcastle to finalise the power of attorney stuff and Micks will, which is good, I’m not expecting him to pop his clogs any time soon but at least he’s getting his affairs in order!
And finally last but not least (for now), Josie is no more. She has been invited to leave politely and will be moving back to her apartment up the beach in Ettalong. She’s not the caring type and was never going to cope with Mick in his state so best it ended.
